2020 Vinum Cellars The Insider Chardonnay Carneros 750 ml

Frank Family. Chappellet. Rombauer. Newton.

The client roster for Carneros’ Sangiacomo Vineyards is over 85 names long and studded with luminaries great and small—most of whom sell their Chardonnay for $40 and up.

And why wouldn't they? Napa Valley insiders know that the Sangiacomo family provided the first Carneros grapes for the Rombauer family, which has since become a Chardonnay juggernaut. Today, the Sangiacomos are recognized for their technological prowess, commitment to environmental sustainability, and intense attention to detail in the field. 

Enter winemakers Richard Bruno and Chris Condos, who founded Vinum Cellars on a shoestring in 1997. Two careers’ worth of connections in Napa have given them access to some of the most sought-after vineyards in Northern California like this one, and they parlay that into wines that overdeliver by leaps and bounds.

That’s why we jumped at the chance to bring you Vinum Cellars' The Insider Chardonnay, which hails from the Sangiacomo family’s Kiser Ranch Vineyard just southwest of the town of Sonoma. First planted in 1974, the vineyard was acquired by the Sangiacomos in 1987, and today they custom-farm it to their clients’ exact specifications. 

Richard and Chris call this wine “Insider” because their price point is too low to vineyard-designate it as Sangiacomo—but you don’t need a big name on the label to tell you this is serious Chardonnay. We were simply floored by the tropical depths and creamy aromatics of this stellar bottle, and by the precise beam of acidity that balances its plump, rich mouthfeel and carries the wine with poise through a complex finish. It’s a Chardonnay that will hold its own against some very big names indeed!